Enhancing the Dyad: The Benefits of Combining Group Therapy with Psychoanalytic Treatment

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this article, I consider the benefits of adding group therapy to psychoanalytic treatment. I describe the evolution of combined treatment, advantages of the group modality, and some of the reasons for therapists’ resistance to it. Through clinical example, I describe developmental blocks that became clear during a patient’s analysis, countertransference responses I became aware of during the analysis, and my assessment of the potential risks and benefits of adding group therapy. I then describe how some of the patient’s developmental blocks were engaged after the addition of group therapy, particularly highlighting the to-and-fro between modalities during working-through. Subsequent discussion addresses the indications for the addition of group therapy, specific therapeutic elements gained through combined treatment, and technical challenges confronting the combined therapist.